My friend and headteacher Jo recently shared this message with our Heads Up Educational Excellence Mastermind Heads and it really does resonate so I thought you might like too:
👉5 reasons why being the headteacher is harder than you think
Let’s take a moment to peel back the glossy perception of what it means to be a headteacher.
People think it’s all about inspiring assemblies, shaking hands at the school gate, and drinking tea in a cozy office. Nope.
The reality? It’s an epic juggling act that makes circus performers look lazy.
So, for anyone who’s ever thought, “How hard can it be?” Here are five reasons why being a headteacher is tougher than it looks.
1️⃣ Heads are carrying the weight of the world (and the Wi-Fi password)
Being a headteacher is like trying to hold up the entire school while simultaneously solving everyone’s problems. Missing resources? You’re on it. Leaky roof? That’s on your list too. And don’t even get me started on being the unofficial IT department. Every decision – big or small – lands on your plate, and the pressure to get it right is immense.
2️⃣ They are everyone’s emotional sponge
Children, parents, staff, governors – they all come to you with their worries, frustrations, and concerns. You listen, empathise, and offer solutions – even on the days when you’re running on fumes yourself. Some days, you feel like a therapist with a side hustle in education. The emotional toll is real.
3️⃣ They are the face of every success (and every failure)
When the school achieves something great, you’re thrilled – but let’s be honest, it’s the team who gets the applause (and rightly so). But when something goes wrong? Oh, that’s all on you. Being a headteacher means owning the wins quietly and wearing the failures loudly. It’s leadership in its rawest form.
4️⃣ There’s no “off” button
Headteachers don’t clock out at 5pm. Your brain is constantly buzzing with everything from staff wellbeing to strategic plans to why Timmy’s still not turning up for school on time. Weekends? Holidays? Forget it. You’re the captain of the ship – and the responsibility doesn’t pause.
5️⃣ They are balancing the impossible
The headteacher’s job is a tightrope walk between competing priorities: children, staff, parents, budgets, policies, Ofsted, and about a hundred other things. You’re expected to lead with vision, manage with precision, and somehow keep your humanity intact. It’s exhausting, exhilarating, and absolutely relentless.
But here’s why they do it:
💡 Because headteachers care. Deeply. They’re in it for the moments of magic: the breakthroughs, the smiles, the lightbulb moments. They do it for the children who need someone to believe in THEM – and for the staff who need someone to believe in THEM.
To every headteacher out there, juggling 1001 things while making it all look effortless – thank you. You’re doing the kind of work that changes lives – even if it feels thankless sometimes.
And for the rest of us? Let’s remember to give them a break, a cup of tea, and a heartfelt, “You’re amazing.”
Because they are.
🚀
You are awesome! Have a great Christmas and I’ll see you in 2025 🌟 ❤️ 🙏
Spotlight Resource
It’s Christmas, so no spotlight resource just a reminder that it’s a busy term, a busy holiday season and it can be easy to not get a rest for you before we’re back in January.
So before you close this email, find a window of time for you. It might be an hour, it might be a few hours, it might be an hour to yourself every morning or evening. Use that time to focus on what you need.
It’s a wonderful time of the year, and it’s busy. So enjoy yourself and rest.
Know that you are awesome.
And I’ll see you in January, ready to take on 2025!